Uber Partners With Grocery Chain Albertsons Companies To Expand Services To More Than 400 US Cities

Competition in the already crowded grocery delivery space is about to intensify as Uber has expanded its services to more than 400 cities across the United States. This is the first major expansion of services offered by Uber after it was launched in 2020. For this, the company has partnered with Albertsons Companies. Albertsons is a publicly-traded company that over 1200 stores of brands owned by it. Some of the major brands are Safeway, Randalls, Vons, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, and Jewel-Osco. The ride-hailing company said that as part of the expansion, its on-demand and scheduled grocery delivery services will be available in major cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Washington D.C.

The company also said that it would provide free delivery to Uber Pass and East Pass customers if the order placed is over USD 30. Uber launched grocery delivery services at 100 locations last year. It has been offering services in the areas of Houston, Miami, and Phoenix. Uber has planning to expand the service in other areas and the deal the partnership with Albertsons has provided the much-needed push. The company is hopeful of offering a nationwide grocery delivery service by the end of the year. The way a ride-hailing company is expanding, there is no doubt that it may soon become more popular as a delivery company. But this is definitely not going to be a cakewalk for Uber. This is because it is competing with some of the major players like Amazon and Instacart.

Uber had a tough time during the coronavirus pandemic and like it, business took a hit because of the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus infection. But it was quick enough to grab on the opportunity in the delivery space. Uber started delivery with food and later jumped to the grocery. This was the right opportunity for the company to generate a new source of revenue. The nationwide driver shortage has led Uber to rely heavily on delivery services for cash. In a bid to expand its delivery services, the company has been on acquiring spree in recent months. It has acquired several smaller startups. Among the prominent ones are Postmates, Cornershop, and Drizly. The company is also partnering with GoPuff. The startup has excelled in delivering essential items like liquor, snacks, over-the-counter medication, and even beauty products.